Sabbath school lesson 11, 1st quarter 2019

1. Lesson 11 for March 16, 2019
Adapted from www.fustero.es
www.gmahktanjungpinang.org
“‘Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name? For You alone are holy. For all
nations shall come and worship before You, for
Your judgments have been manifested’”
(Revelation 15:4)

2. The time of the last plagues. Revelation 15
The first plagues. Revelation 16:1-11
The sixth plague
River Euphrates is dried up. Revelation 16:12
The triple satanic message. Revelation 16:13-14
The battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16:15-16
“You, Yourself, are to be feared; and
who may stand in Your presence when
once You are angry? You caused
judgment to be heard from heaven; the
earth feared and was still, when God
arose to judgment, to deliver all the
oppressed of the earth.” (Psalm 76:7-9)
Like an echo of the psalmist, Revelation 15 shows
those who will remain standing when the judgment of
God is spilled on the inveterate earth, and the Lord
comes to save His people (Revelation 16).

3. THE TIME OF THE
LAST PLAGUES
“And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled
with fire, and those who have the victory over the
beast, over his image and over his mark and over
the number of his name, standing on the sea of
glass, having harps of God.” (Revelation 15:2)
Each person on Earth has had the
opportunity to choose between
worshipping God or the beast. John
sees the victorious, those who
have accepted God. But they are
not going to receive their reward
yet.
The scene changes to heaven (v. 5). The tabernacle is
emitting smoke (Ex. 40:34-35; 1K. 8:10-11). The
intermediary work in the Heavenly Sanctuary is finished.
The time of grace has come to an end.
As the third angel had
announced, now is the time for
everyone to face the
consequences of their decision.

4. These plagues are similar to
those that took place in Egypt.
They reveal the hardened heart
of those who have decided to
worship the beast (v. 2 y 9), and
the impotence of the devil who
cannot protect his worshippers
(v. 10-11).
After the devastating
consequences of the first four
plagues, the world turns to the
beast and asks her for help. But
the beast cannot help them (her
throne is filled with darkness in a
symbolic way).
Nevertheless, the people don’t
want to accept their mistakes
and blaspheme against God.
v. 2 v. 3
v. 4-7 v. 8-9
v. 10 v. 11
THE FIRST
PLAGUES
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying
to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of
the wrath of God on the earth.’” (Revelation 16:1)

5. The sixth plague begins with the fall of
Babylon that will be explained in more
detail in the next chapters. The river
Euphrates was dried up literally when the
old Babylon fell into the hands of Cyrus.
The Papacy cannot help the people, so it
turns to the apostate Protestantism.
Finally, both lose all the support from the
people and it’s time for Jesus to come
back to take what it’s His (v. 15).
However, the devil doesn’t want to lose his
domain and prepares a last and desperate
attack.
RIVER
EUPHRATES IS
DRIED UP
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the
great river Euphrates, and its water was dried
up, so that the way of the kings from the east
might be prepared.” (Revelation 16:12)

6. Satan sends a triple message as a counterfeit
of the triple angelic message in Revelation 14.
In order to do so, he uses spiritualism (the
dragon), the papacy (the beast) and apostate
Protestantism (the false prophet).
At that moment, God has already removed His
Holy Spirit from those who didn’t accept Him.
They will be easily deceived by the devil’s
signs and miracles, and they will turn to him
again (see 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
The end is imminent: “Behold, I am coming as
a thief” (v. 15). Satan attacks for the last
time.
THE TRIPLE
SATANIC MESSAGE
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out
of the mouth of the beast, and out of the
mouth of the false prophet.” (Revelation
16:13)

7. Armageddon means “mount of
Megiddo” in Hebrew. There’s no
place with that name, but there’s
an area in Palestine called
“Megiddo.”
That was a strategic area where many battles were fought. Apostate and
faithful kings died there (Ahaziah, 2K. 9:27; Josiah, 2K. 23:29).
With that last attack, Satan tries to destroy the people who still remain faithful
to God. We are getting ready to remain faithful in that last battle as we
decide to remain faithful in our temptations today.
That attack will be interrupted by the seventh plague (v. 17-21). That will
happen just before “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)
“And they
gathered them
together to the
place called in
Hebrew,
Armageddon.”
(Revelation 16:16)
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

8. “While Jesus had been standing between God and
guilty man, a restraint was upon the people; but when
He stepped out from between man and the Father, the
restraint was removed and Satan had entire control of
the finally impenitent. It was impossible for the
plagues to be poured out while Jesus officiated in the
sanctuary; but as His work there is finished, and His
intercession closes, there is nothing to stay the wrath
of God, and it breaks with fury upon the shelterless
head of the guilty sinner, who has slighted salvation
and hated reproof. In that fearful time, after the close
of Jesus’ mediation, the saints were living in the sight
of a holy God without an intercessor. Every case was
decided, every jewel numbered.”
E.G.W. (Early Writings, p. 280)

9. “The people of God will not be free from suffering; but
while persecuted and distressed, while they endure
privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left
to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by
one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the
hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of
famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying
from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the
righteous and supply their wants. To him that ‘walketh
righteously’ is the promise: ‘Bread shall be given him; his
waters shall be sure.’ ‘When the poor and needy seek
water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for
thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will
not forsake them.’ Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17”
E.G.W. (The Great Controversy, cp. 39, p. 629)